Methods for genome assembly and haplotype phasing

ABSTRACT

The disclosure provides methods to assemble genomes of eukaryotic or prokaryotic organisms. The disclosure further provides methods for haplotype phasing and meta-genomics assemblies.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/759,941, filed Feb. 1, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure provides for methods of genome assembly and haplotype phasing for identifying short, intermediate and long term connections within a genome.

BACKGROUND

It remains difficult in theory and in practice to produce high-quality, highly contiguous genome sequences.

SUMMARY

The disclosure provides methods for accelerating and improving de novo genome assembly. The methods disclosed herein utilize methods for data analysis that allow for rapid and inexpensive de novo assembly of genomes from one or more subjects. The disclosure further provides that the methods disclosed herein can be used in a variety of applications, including haplotype phasing, and metagenomics analysis.

In a certain embodiment, the disclosure provides for a method for genome assembly comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of contigs; generating a plurality of read pairs from data produced by probing the physical layout of chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin; mapping or assembling the plurality of read pairs to the plurality of contigs; constructing an adjacency matrix of contigs using the read-mapping or assembly data; and analyzing the adjacency matrix to determine a path through the contigs that represent their order and/or orientation to the genome. In a further embodiment, the disclosure provides that each read pair is weighted by taking a function of each read's distance to the edge of the contig so as to incorporate information about which read pairs indicate short-range contacts and which read pairs indicate longer-range contacts. In another embodiment, the adjacency matrix can be re-scaled to down-weight the high number of contacts on some contigs that represent promiscuous regions of the genome, such as conserved binding sites for one or more agents that regulate the scaffolding interactions of chromatin, like transcriptional repressor CTCF. In another embodiment, the disclosure provides for a method for the genome assembly of a human subject, whereby the plurality of contigs is generated from the human subject's DNA, and whereby the plurality of read pairs is generated from analyzing the human subject's chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin made from the subject's naked DNA.

In a further embodiment, the disclosure provides that a plurality of contigs can be generated by using a shotgun sequencing method comprising: fragmenting long stretches of a subject's DNA into random fragments of indeterminate size; sequencing the fragments using high throughput sequencing methods to generate a plurality of sequencing reads; and assembling the sequencing reads so as to form a plurality of contigs.

In a certain embodiment, the disclosure provides that a plurality of read pairs can be generated by probing the physical layout of chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin using a Hi-C based technique. In a further embodiment, the Hi-C based technique comprises, crosslinking chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin with a fixative agent, such as formaldehyde, to form DNA-protein cross links; cutting the cross-linked DNA-Protein with one or more restriction enzymes so as to generate a plurality of DNA-protein complexes comprising sticky ends; filling in the sticky ends with nucleotides containing one or more markers, such as biotin, to create blunt ends that are then ligated together; fragmenting the plurality of DNA-protein complexes into fragments; pulling down junction containing fragments by using the one or more of the markers; and sequencing the junction containing fragments using high throughput sequencing methods to generate a plurality of read pairs. In a further embodiment, the plurality of read pairs for the methods disclosed herein is generated from data produced by probing the physical layout of chromatin.

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure provides that a plurality of read pairs can be determined by probing the physical layout of chromosomes or chromatin isolated from cultured cells or primary tissue. In an alternate embodiment, the plurality of read pairs can be determined by probing the physical layout of reconstituted chromatin formed by complexing naked DNA obtained from a sample of one or more subjects with isolated histones.

In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a method to determine haplotype phasing comprising a step of identifying one or more sites of heterozygosity in the plurality of read pairs, wherein phasing data for allelic variants can be determined by identifying read pairs that comprise a pair of heterozygous sites.

In a certain embodiment, the disclosure provides a method for high-throughput bacterial genome assembly, comprising a step of generating a plurality of read pairs by probing the physical layout of a plurality of microbial chromosomes using a modified Hi-C based method, comprising the modified steps of: collecting microbes from an environment; adding a fixative agent, such as formaldehyde, so as to form cross-links within each microbial cell, and wherein read pairs mapping to different contigs indicate which contigs are from the same species.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety as well as any references cited therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the disclosure are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the disclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the disclosure are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 presents an illustration of genome assembly using high-throughput sequencing reads. The genome to be assembled is shown (top). Typically, genomes have many repeat sequences that are difficult to assemble. Random, high-throughput sequence data from genomes (middle) are collected and assembled into “contigs” in regions that are unique in the genome (bottom). Contig assembly generally stops at the many repeat sequences. The final output is a set of thousands of contigs whose order and orientation relative to one another are not known. In the figure, they are arbitrarily numbered from longest to shortest.

FIG. 2A-D illustrates a Hi-C based protocol of the disclosure: (A) demonstrates where DNA is cross-linked and processed to created biotinylated junction fragments for sequencing; and (B-D) provide contact map data on human chr14 for a variety of restriction enzymes. As shown, most contacts are local along the chromosome.

FIG. 3 provides a tracing of the distribution of intra-chromosomal read-pair distances using a Hi-C based protocol of the disclosure. Eight datasets are shown. In each dataset, the frequency of read-pairs decreases exponentially with increasing distance such that read pairs are more likely to be separated by a smaller distance than a longer distance. As shown, there is a long tail of read-pair distances that extends over hundreds of kilobases.

FIG. 4A-C provides a method of the disclosure using Hi-C sequence data to assist genome assembly: (A) illustrates where DNA is cross-linked and processed using a Hi-C based protocol; (B) demonstrates where read-pair data is mapped to assembled contigs, generated from random shotgun sequencing and assembly; and (C) illustrates that after filtering and weighting, an adjacency matrix summarizing all inter-contig read pair data can be constructed. This matrix can be re-ordered to indicate the correct assembly path. As shown, most of the read pairs will map within a contig. From which, it is possible to learn the distribution of contact distances (e.g., see FIG. 3). Read pairs that map to different contigs provide data about which contigs are adjacent in a correct genome assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “and,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “contig” includes a plurality of such contigs and reference to “probing the physical layout of chromosomes” includes reference to one or more methods for probing the physical layout of chromosomes and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the use of “and” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Similarly, “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising” “include,” “includes,” and “including” are interchangeable and not intended to be limiting.

It is to be further understood that where descriptions of various embodiments use the term “comprising,” those skilled in the art would understand that in some specific instances, an embodiment can be alternatively described using language “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of.”

The term “sequencing read” as used herein, refers to a fragment of DNA in which the sequence has been determined.

The term “contigs” as used herein, refers to contiguous regions of DNA sequence. “Contigs” can be determined by any number methods known in the art, such as, by comparing sequencing reads for overlapping sequences, and/or by comparing sequencing reads against a databases of known sequences in order to identify which sequencing reads have a high probability of being contiguous.

The term “subject” as used herein can refer to any eukaryotic or prokaryotic organism.

The term “naked DNA” as used herein refers to DNA that is substantially free of complexed proteins.

The term “reconstituted chromatin” as used herein refers to forming chromatin by complexing isolated nuclear proteins to naked DNA.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods and reagents similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the disclosed methods and compositions, the exemplary methods and materials are now described.

Basic evolutionary and biomedical research is being driven by technological advances in high-throughput sequencing. Whereas whole genome sequencing and assembly used to be the provenance of large genome sequencing centers, commercially available sequencers are now inexpensive enough that most research universities have one or several of these machines. It is now relatively inexpensive to generate massive quantities of DNA sequence data. However it remains difficult in theory and in practice to produce high-quality, highly contiguous genome sequences with current technology. Furthermore, because most organisms that one would care to analyze, including humans, are diploid, each individual has two copies of the genome. At sites of heterozygosity (where the allele given by the mother differs from the allele given by the father), it is difficult to know which sets of alleles came from which parent (known as haplotype phasing). This information can be used for many kinds of evolutionary and biomedical studies such as disease and trait association studies.

The disclosure provides methods for genome assembly that combine technologies for DNA preparation with paired-end sequencing for high-throughput discovery of short, intermediate and long term connections within a given genome. The disclosure further provides methods using these connections to assist in genome assembly, for haplotype phasing, and/or for metagenomic studies. While the methods presented herein can be used to determine the assembly of a subject's genome, it should also be understood that the methods presented herein can also be used to determine the assembly of portions of the subject's genome such as chromosomes, or the assembly of the subject's chromatin of varying lengths.

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure provides for one or more methods disclosed herein that comprise the step of generating a plurality of contigs from sequencing fragments of target DNA obtained from a subject. Long stretches of target DNA can be fragmented by cutting the DNA with one or more restriction enzymes, shearing the DNA, or a combination thereof. The resulting fragments can be sequenced using high throughput sequencing methods to obtain a plurality of sequencing reads. Examples of high throughput sequencing methods which can be used with the methods of the disclosure include, but are not limited to, 454 pyrosequencing methods developed Roche Diagnostics, “clusters” sequencing methods developed by Illumina, SOLiD and Ion semiconductor sequencing methods developed by Life Technologies, and DNA nanoball sequencing methods developed by Complete Genomics. Overlapping ends of different sequencing reads can then be assembled to form a contig. Alternatively, fragmented target DNA can be cloned into vectors. Cells or organisms are then transfected with the DNA vectors to form a library. After replicating the transfected cells or organisms, the vectors are isolated and sequenced to generate a plurality of sequencing reads. The overlapping ends of different sequencing reads can then be assembled to form a contig.

As shown in FIG. 1, genome assembly, especially with high-throughput sequencing technology can be problematic. Often, the assembly consists of thousands or tens of thousands of short contigs. The order and orientation of these contigs is generally unknown, limiting the usefulness of the genome assembly. Technologies exist to order and orient these scaffolds, but they are generally expensive, labor intensive, and often fail in discovering very long range interactions.

As will be appreciated by those in the art, samples comprising target DNA used to generate contigs can be obtained from a subject by any number of means, including by taking bodily fluids (e.g., blood, urine, serum, lymph, saliva, anal and vaginal secretions, perspiration and semen), taking tissue, or by collecting cells/organisms. The sample obtained may be comprised of a single type of cell/organism, or may be comprised multiple types of cells/organisms. The DNA can be extracted and prepared from the subject's sample using known techniques. For example, the sample may be treated to lyse a cell comprising the polynucleotide, using known lysis buffers, sonication techniques, electroporation, and the like. The target DNA may be further purified to remove contaminants, such as proteins, by using alcohol extractions, cesium gradients, and/or column chromatography.

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure provides for one or more methods disclosed herein that comprise the step of probing the physical layout of chromosomes within living cells. Examples of techniques to probe the physical layout of chromosomes through sequencing include the “C” family of techniques, such as chromosome conformation capture (“3C”), circularized chromosome conformation capture (“4C”), carbon-copy chromosome capture (“5C”), and Hi-C based methods; and ChIP based methods, such as ChIP-loop, ChIP-PET. In a certain embodiment, one or more methods disclosed herein utilize Hi-C based techniques to probe the physical layout of chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin.

A Hi-C based technique is summarized in FIG. 2. In brief, cross-links are created between genome regions that are in close physical proximity. Crosslinking of proteins (such as histones) to the DNA within chromatin can be accomplished according to various methods. One approach is to expose the chromatin to ultraviolet irradiation. Other approaches utilize chemical crosslinking agents. Suitable chemical crosslinking agents include, but are not limited to, formaldehyde and psoralen. The DNA may be immunoprecipitated prior to or after crosslinking. Such methods generally involve fragmenting chromatin and then contacting the fragments with an antibody that specifically recognizes and binds to acetylated histones, particularly H3. Examples of such antibodies include, but are not limited to, Anti Acetylated Histone H3, available from Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, N.Y. The polynucleotides from the immunoprecipitate can subsequently be collected from the immunoprecipitate. Prior to fragmenting the chromatin, one can optionally crosslink the acetylated histones to adjacent DNA. The mixture is then treated to fractionate polynucleotides in the mixture. Fractionation techniques are known in the art and include, for example, shearing techniques to generate smaller genomic fragments. Fragmentation can be accomplished using established methods for fragmenting chromatin, including, for example, sonication, shearing and/or the use of restriction enzymes. The resulting fragments can vary in size. In one embodiment, using sonication techniques, fragments of approximately 200-400 nucleotides can be obtained. Then, a series of steps is performed that creates a single, short stretch of DNA that is a ligation product between the two regions that were originally in close physical proximity. These ligation products are then subjected to paired-end sequencing (the beginning and end of each fragment is sequenced) using high-throughput sequencing. Each read pair represents a single pair of genomic regions that were in close physical proximity.

One feature of the data generated by Hi-C is that most reads pairs, when mapped back to the genome, are found to be in close linear proximity. That is, most read pairs are found to be close to one another in the genome. In detecting long-range intra-chromosomal and especially inter-chromosomal contacts, this “background” of short and intermediate range intra-chromosomal contacts are background noise to be factored out using Hi-C analysis.

Examination of the physical distance between intra-chromosomal read pairs indicates several useful features of the data with respect to genome assembly. First, shorter range interactions are more common than longer-range interactions (e.g., see FIG. 3). That is, each read of a read-pair is more likely to be mated with a region close by in the actual genome than it is to be with a region that is far away. Second, there is a long tail of intermediate and long-range interactions. That is, read-pairs carry information about intra-chromosomal arrangement at megabase (Mb) distances. These features of the data simply indicate that regions of the genome that are nearby on the same chromosome are more likely to be in close physical proximity - an expected result because they are chemically linked to one another through the DNA backbone.

Universally, procedures for probing the physical layout of chromosomes, such as Hi-C based techniques, utilize chromatin that is formed within a cell/organism, such as chromatin isolated from cultured cells or primary tissue. The disclosure provides not only for the use of such techniques with chromatin isolated from a cell/organism but also with reconstituted chromatin. Reconstituted chromatin has many benefits over chromatin formed within a cell/organism. First, for many samples, the collection of naked DNA samples can be achieved by using a variety of noninvasive to invasive methods, such as by collecting bodily fluids, swabbing buccal or rectal areas, taking epithelial samples, etc. Moreover, it may be impractical or impossible to successfully culture certain types of cells long-term. Second, reconstituted chromatin will not have the inter-chromosomal and other long-range interactions that generate artifacts for genome assembly and haplotype phasing. Third, by varying the ratio of DNA to histones, it is possible to reduce the nucleosome density. In this way, crosslinks will naturally favor longer-range interactions. As shorter range contacts are disfavored and longer range contacts favored, the usefulness for contig ordering will be increased.

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure provides for one or more methods disclosed herein that comprise the step of mapping the plurality of read pairs to the plurality of contigs. Most of the read pairs will map within in a contig, and from which the distribution of distances between read pairs can be learned, and from which an adjacency matrix of contigs can be constructed using read pairs that map to different contigs.

In a certain embodiment, the disclosure provides for one or more methods disclosed herein that comprise the step of constructing an adjacency matrix of contigs using the read-mapping data from the read-pair data. In another embodiment, the adjacency matrix uses a weighting scheme for read pairs that incorporate the tendency for short-range interactions over long-range interactions (e.g., see FIG. 4). In a further embodiment, the adjacency matrix can further be re-scaled to down-weight the high number of contacts on some contigs that represent promiscuous regions of the genome. In yet a further embodiment, this scaling can be directed by searching for one or more conserved binding sites for one or more agents that regulate the scaffolding interactions of chromatin, such as transcriptional repressor CTCF.

In particular embodiment, the disclosure provides for one or more methods disclosed herein that comprise a step of analyzing the adjacency matrix to determine a path through the contigs that represent their order and/or orientation to the genome. In another embodiment, the path through the contigs is chosen so that each contig is visited exactly once. In a further embodiment, the path through the contigs is chosen so that edge-weighting of adjacency matrix is maximized. In yet a further embodiment, the path through the contigs is chosen so that each contig is visited exactly once and that edge-weighting of adjacency matrix is maximized.

In diploid genomes, it often important to know which allelic variants are linked on the same chromosome. This is known as the haplotype phasing. Short reads from high-throughput sequence data rarely allow one to directly observe which allelic variants are linked. Computational inference of haplotype phasing is unreliable at long distances. The disclosure provides one or methods that allow for determining which allelic variants are linked using allelic variants on read pairs.

Humans are heterozygous at an average of 1 site in 1,000. A lane of data using high throughput sequencing methods can generate about 150,000,000 read pairs. Each read pair is 100 base pairs long. From these parameters, it is estimated that one-tenth of all reads will cover a heterozygous site. Thus, on average one-hundredth of all read pairs will cover a pair of heterozygous sites. These 1,500,000 read pairs (one-hundredth of 150,000,000) provide phasing data. Because there are approximately 3 billion bases in the human genome and one in one-thousand is heterozygous, there are approximately 3 million heterozygous sites in a human genome. Each read-pair reveals phase data that covers a pair of heterozygous sites. As there are 1,500,000 such read pairs, the average coverage of each heterozygous site to be phased using high throughput sequence method accounts for one lane of data (1X) using typical high throughput sequencing machines. A genome can therefore be reliably and completely phased with one lane of Hi-C sequence data using the methods disclosed herein.

One current avenue of research, meta-genomics, investigates the DNA sequence of all organisms that inhabit a given ecological environment. Examples include random sequencing of all gut microbes, the microbes found on certain areas of skin, and the microbes that live in toxic waste sites. These studies have revealed a lot about the composition of the microbe population in these environments and embodiments of interrelated biochemistries encoded by their respective genomes. However, metagenomic studies are all hampered by the complexity of the biological environments. Generally, there are too many species with too much genome variability to attempt to assemble genomes from the random data recovered. The disclosure provides one or more methods that allow for the assembly of genomes for metagenomic projects.

The following examples are intended to illustrate but not limit the disclosure. While they are typical of those that might be used, other procedures known to those skilled in the art may alternatively be used.

EXAMPLES Methods to Generate Chromatin In Vitro

Two approaches to reconstitute chromatin include (1) to use ATP-independent random deposition of histones onto DNA, while the other (2) uses ATP-dependent assembly of periodic nucleosomes. The disclosure allows the use of either approach with one or more methods disclosed herein. Examples of both approaches to generate chromatin can be found in Lusser et al. (“Strategies for the reconstitution of chromatin,” Nature Methods (2004), 1(1):19-26), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, including the references cited therein.

Genome Assembly Using HI-C Based Techniques

A genome from a human subject was fragmented into pseudo-contigs having a size of 500 kb. Using a Hi-C based method, a plurality of read pairs were generated by probing the physical layout of chromosomes within living cells. Any number of Hi-C based methods can be used to generate read pairs, including the method presented in Lieberman-Aiden et al. (“Comprehensive mapping of long range interactions reveals folding principles of the human genome,” Science (2009), 326(5950):289-293), which is incorporated herein in-full, including the references cited therein. Read pairs were mapped to all pseudo-contigs and those pairs that mapped to two separate pseudo-contigs, were used to construct an adjacency matrix based upon the mapping data. Each read pair was weighted by taking a function of each read's distance to the edge of the pseudo-contig so as to mathematically incorporate the empirically known higher probability of shorter contacts than longer contacts. Then, for each pseudo-contig, the adjacency matrix was analyzed to determine a path through the pseudo-contigs by finding the single best neighbor pseudo-contig, which was determined by having the highest sum-of-weights. By performing these methods, it was found that >97% of all pseudo-contigs identified their correct neighbor. Additional experiments can be performed to test the impact of shorter contigs and alternate weighting and path-finding schemes.

Methods for Haplotype Phasing

Because the read pairs generated by the methods disclosed herein are generally derived from intra-chromosomal contacts, any read pairs that contain sites of heterozygosity will also carry information about their phasing. Using this information, reliable phasing over short, intermediate and even long (megabase) distances can be performed rapidly and accurately. Experiments designed to phase data from one of the 1000 genomes trios (a set of mother/father/offspring genomes) have reliably inferred phasing.

Methods for Meta-Genomic Assembly

Microbes are collected from an environment and fixed with a fixative agent, such as formaldehyde, in order to form cross-links within each microbial cell. A plurality of contigs from each microbe is generated by using high-throughput sequencing. A plurality of read pairs are generated by using Hi-C based techniques. Read pairs that map to different contigs indicate which contigs are from the same species.

While preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the disclosure described herein may be employed in practicing the disclosure. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the disclosure and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for genome assembly comprising: generating a plurality of contigs; generating a plurality of read pairs from data produced by probing the physical layout of chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin; mapping the plurality of read pairs to the plurality of contigs; constructing an adjacency matrix of contigs using the read-mapping data; and analyzing the adjacency matrix to determine a path through the contigs that represents their order and/or orientation to the genome.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contigs is generated by using a shotgun sequencing method, comprising: fragmenting up long stretches of a subject's DNA into random fragments of indeterminate size; sequencing the fragments using high throughput sequencing methods to generate a plurality of sequencing reads; and assembling the sequencing reads so as to form a plurality of contigs.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of read pairs is generated by probing the physical layout of chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin using a Hi-C based technique.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the Hi-C based technique comprises: crosslinking chromosomes, chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin with a fixative agent to form DNA-protein cross links; cutting the cross-linked DNA-Protein with one or more restriction enzymes so as to generate a plurality of DNA-protein complexes comprising sticky ends; filling in the sticky ends with nucleotides containing one or more markers to create blunt ends that are then ligated together; fragmenting the plurality of DNA-protein complexes into fragments; pulling down junction containing fragments by using the one or more of markers; and sequencing the junction containing fragments using high throughput sequencing methods to generate a plurality of read pairs.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of read pairs is generated by probing the physical layout of chromosomes or chromatin isolated from cultured cells or primary tissue.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of read pairs is generated by probing the physical layout of reconstituted chromatin formed by complexing naked DNA obtained from a sample of one or more subjects with isolated histones.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein for the plurality of read pairs, each read pair is weighted by taking a function of each read's distance to the edge of the contig so as to incorporate a higher probability of shorter contacts than longer contacts.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjacency matrix is re-scaled to down-weight the high number of contacts on contigs that represent promiscuous regions of the genome.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the promiscuous regions of the genome includes one or more conserved binding sites for one or more agents that regulate the scaffolding interactions of chromatin.
 10. The method of claim 9, where the one or more agents comprises transcriptional repressor CTCF.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method provides for the genome assembly of a human subject, wherein the plurality of contigs is generated from the human subject's DNA, and wherein the plurality of read pairs is generated by using the human subject's chromosomes or chromatin, or reconstituted chromatin made from the subject's naked DNA.
 12. A method for determining haplotype phasing, comprising the method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: identifying one or more sites of heterozygosity in the plurality of read pairs; and identifying read pairs that comprise a pair of heterozygous sites, wherein phasing data for allelic variants can be determined from the identification of the pair of heterozygous sites.
 13. A method for a meta-genomics assembly, comprising the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of read pairs is determined by probing the physical layout of a plurality of microbial chromosomes using a modified Hi-C based method comprising: collecting microbes from an environment; and adding a fixative agent so as to form cross-links within each microbial cell, wherein read pairs mapping to different contigs indicate which contigs are from the same species.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the fixative agent is formaldehyde. 